Whoa.... A LOT of Posts

[IRL_Joanie]

It's a small world Joanie. I was stationed in Albuquerque from '72-'78, and lived in the NE heights on Tomasita. I had a SCUBA shop up on Juan Tabo, and still have some great friends living there. What a great place to retire, I envy you living there, and I'm stuck here in Indiana!:eek:

 

If you've not been back since '78 you would be shocked at how big the city is now!! Over 300,000 and still growing!! We are right at the Pueblos on 3 sides (all the way to Rio Puerco at the start/finish of 9 mile hill!!) and right at the base of the Sandias:eek: The only direction left to grow is upwards:eek:

 

I LOVE INDIANA!!! Wanted to retire there, but hubby said he did not want snow or more than will not melt completely away in an hour.... So by mutual agreement we chose Albuquerque, which has worked out well for us:)

 

OK WORD OF WARNING TO ALL: Call me by my real name, Linda and I will cry. I've gotten so used to "Joanie" that I do not even respond to the real name anymore:)

 

Joanie

[kazu]

I'm sitting here laughing still... I have no idea how I always thought that!!!

 

I think I must have developed "little profiles" of everyone in my mind over the years, and imagined what people are like when they are away from this Board.

 

Example:

 

KAZU: DesMoines, Iowa - Running for Congress in 2014, vegetarian, former Olympic athlete.

SAIL7SEAS: Boston, MA - Supermodel, all-time money winner on Wheel of Fortune, once dated George Clooney's father (before her DH, of course)

JTL513: NYC - The movie Bourne Identity was based on his life, loves statistics and actually knows how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop - and the exact time you'll get there, invented Velveeta Cheese, but even he isn't sure what's in there.

INNLADY1: Beverly Hills, California - innlady1 is the secret username for Paris Hilton - heir to the Hilton Hotel Fortune, plans to replicate her successful 13-room B&B to wealthy destinations all over the world, hates velveeta cheese and resents JTL513 for inventing it.

IRL JOANIE: Indianapolis, Indiana - World Champion race car driver (that's why she never posts on Sunday afternoon), came up with the idea for Cruise Critic at a cocktail party in 1981 but forgot to patent the idea, because she has an answer to almost every question on CC actually knows where Elvis is.

 

Well, you get the point...

 

Was I close?:D

 

Funny:D hate to break it to you, but I have no political ambitions. Being the President of the SPCA is enough work thank you very much :)

 

Not a vegetarian, but I do grow them and love gardening:)

 

Sorry, but I live in New Brunswick, Canada. I am a Maritimer.

 

But I love the descriptions - they are a lot of fun. You have a great sense of humour:)

[jtl513]

For some reason, my brain always equates "IRL" to "In real life" ...

Me too! :)

[Himself]

Right after I signed off last night I went to bed. Did we ever cross the MAGIC Number?

[kazu]

Right after I signed off last night I went to bed. Did we ever cross the MAGIC Number?

 

Oh YES and before midnight, Atlantic time, too:):):)

[IRL_Joanie]

Right after I signed off last night I went to bed. Did we ever cross the MAGIC Number?

 

Oh My Yes Father!!!

 

We even did it about 2 hours or so before the Ball dropped in NYC!!! IIRC, without reading back through the posts, we did it at about 10:53 p.m. EST

 

Joanie

[ariawoman]

Me too! :)

 

Ah, a kindred spirit :-)

 

I have always had an affinity for your posts because you have the hanging towel monkey as your icon, and that was my favorite animal on the NA. We walked into the cabin and were so sad when there was nothing on the bed, then i looked to the left and freaked out :-) Love him!!

[jtl513]

Right after I signed off last night I went to bed. Did we ever cross the MAGIC Number?

See post 537, and note the time in the right corner of the task bar. :)

[Himself]

Oh My Yes Father!!!

 

We even did it about 2 hours or so before the Ball dropped in NYC!!! IIRC, without reading back through the posts, we did it at about 10:53 p.m. EST

 

Joanie

 

Thanks for the information Joanie. It was right after I went to bed. I was asleep before we crossed the line and was awakened at Midnight with the fireworks marking the midwest enterance into 2012. Let us see how long it takes to get to our next threshold.

Happy New Year and thank you for the information

Himself

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Well I for one hope it does not get send to the Floataway Lounge because I suspect as long as it stays here on the HAL board someone will bring this forward NEXT new Years Ever to relive the fun :D

[sail7seas]

 

 

<snip>

 

Methinks this thread isn't long for this forum before it gets the floataway treatment, but since we're already so far off topic already: what was the outcome on the new HAL "Grand Statendam"? Was it a conspiracy to con you, or did those that were telling you that really believe it because they had been conned? Or what?

 

 

We heard the same Grand Statendam stories and, of course, we have no idea if the stories are true or they are simply feeding on themselves. One tells, another hears, repeats it and before you know so many have told and heard it they start to believe it's fact.

 

If I had to say whether I thought real or not...... I wouldn't know how to answer. We've heard it from so many sources and dependable people that we just don't know and won't until HAL either does or does not make an announcement. :shrug:

 

I do tend to think the next HAL build whenever/wherever it is built will be a ship larger than Signature but that is only my opinion.

 

 

[ASIWISH]

TheKuhnFamily - Male (only discovered that last night *Duh!!) - Mid Western state (Ohio or Illinois - 3rd smartest man I know, behind hubby and jtl (John). I picture him as a banker.

 

So how close did I get??

 

Joanie

 

My name is Kevin.

 

My wife, Nancy, knows all of you even though she's never been on Cruise Critic. She sits with my every night, giggling as I laugh with all of you!

 

I live just two blocks outside of Chicago, in a small town by O'Hare airport, in the house Nancy grew up in.

 

I have run the Global Accounts groups for large food companies, like Sara Lee, Baskin Robbins, and Campbell Soup... thus my comments about the food onboard. I love food.

 

Two kids. Junior and Senior in hight school.

 

This was my favorite thread ever... and thanking Walt and Joe for letting it go a little longer.

[ASIWISH]

Very funny!! :D :D what was the outcome on the new HAL "Grand Statendam"? Was it a conspiracy to con you, or did those that were telling you that really believe it because they had been conned? Or what?

 

We literally heard it from 7 crew members on 7 different occasions. We only asked about it twice, so it must have been a fresh crew rumor.

 

I'm sticking with my theory, and can't wait to throw a ":p" at everyone when they announce it!

 

Of course, I do somewhat expect to be referred to as the Grand Sucker if it never happens!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

but since we're already so far off topic already: what was the outcome on the new HAL "Grand Statendam"? Was it a conspiracy to con you, or did those that were telling you that really believe it because they had been conned? Or what?

I spoke to several sources that would definitely be in the know and they had never ever heard of this. For the fact that nothing else has been said and no one seems to know a thing about this my guess is that one crew member heard something about a ship being built in Japan possibly Aida which is a CCL corp and then just like the old game Telephone that you whisper into someones ear and tell something, it gets passed around and suddenly it becomes totally different.

[ASIWISH]

Hey, John... an I right in saying that this thread is the 25th most viewed ever on the HAL boards?

 

I just looked at the "views" and counted down...

[sail7seas]

This isn't the 'most viewed' thread on HAL forum, Kevin.

There were a few 'live from threads' that got many views and I can think of a few others. Some go 'way back' but nevertheless were hugely viewed.

 

This one has been loads of fun though...... :)

 

[jtl513]

Hey, John... an I right in saying that this thread is the 25th most viewed ever on the HAL boards?

 

I just looked at the "views" and counted down...

No, not by a long shot. If you click on Views to sort them in descending order (except for Stickies, which are a separate, special case) you'll find this thread about in the middle of page 10, which means it is roughly the 380th.

 

Now if you meant Replies , and ignore the Stickies, this ranks 20th. ;)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

No, not by a long shot. If you click on Views to sort them in descending order (except for Stickies, which are a separate, special case) you'll find this thread about in the middle of page 10, which means it is roughly the 380th. ;)

I was surprised to see three of my Live From threads on the front page :) No Surprise that the last Hawaii one was right up there.

[IRL_Joanie]

Thank You for the Views Link!!!

 

I am reading a thread that was posted way bck in July 2008 called "My trip from Hal! It is great. Thankfully the young lady was able to put some funny into the situation (which I am not done with yet. I am on Sitka right now.) If anyone cares to wander down memory lane or.... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=809473

 

OK, gots to go back and see what misfortune happens next;)

 

BTW, I do not want to reply to the original thread as I am afraid to many would read it without seeing the date and start to panic:cool:

 

Joanie

[mamaofami]

Joanie, that's an oldie but goodie that so many of us enjoyed. Have fun reading it.

[IRL_Joanie]

Joanie, that's an oldie but goodie that so many of us enjoyed. Have fun reading it.

 

That thread referenced one from 2007 by SailorJack, a South American cruise where apparently the ship hit a Japanese Cargo ship. Sounds like it is going to be absolutely hilarious, seeing who authored it:D It is Called "The Dream? Or the Nightmare? (or why I may give up cruising?" http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=679082

 

EDITED: OMG!!! SailorJack is hilarious!! Just a tiny bit that as me on the floor; QUOTE "Day 2 (Continued) –Montevideo

 

We departed Montevideo under clear skys at 5:00 PM amid anticipation of an exciting day at sea as we steamed to our next Port of Call, Puerto Madryn and its famed colony of Penguins.

 

We had actually made it a mile or so out to sea before we rear-ended the Suzuki Grand Vitara. Well, technically speaking, I guess we first rammed the Japanese Cargo Barge, Tira Mizzou, knocking a half dozen Suzukis and an untold number of steel cargo containers into the shallow sea. It was then that we rear-ended one of the Suzukis.

 

As SailorJill and I looked on, the six Suzukis slowly slid, one by one, beneath the waves – sending Davy Jones a brand new set of wheels." UNQUOTE

 

 

I absolutely love how the lady (cannot remember her name now, duh) did a wonderful job of her review and I read it to the last post. Absolutely wonderful.

 

Joanie

[NMLady]

DONE! Yahoo!!

 

YAY!! I'm glad to see it was done before midnight New Year's Eve on the CC board time.

I didn't get back to the board -- was playing cards with hubby and then fixed our Black Eyed peas for New Year's.

You people did well. Congratulations. And I liked what RuthC pointed out, that there was no bickering -- unusual for any thread. And I agree that it was nice of the moderators to leave the thread here and not move it to the Floataway Lounge.

I want to say to RuthC that we had both chocolates AND fruitcake for Christmas. Both were from Vermont Country Store. For New Years we had tasty mincemeat tarts from them. An expensive splurge -- so delicious.

 

Happy New Year everyone. May your cruises be the best ever.

[RuthC]

I want to say to RuthC that we had both chocolates AND fruitcake for Christmas. Both were from Vermont Country Store.

Glad you liked your splurge. Is that the store in Shelburne? I've been in there, and it's a fun place to rummage around in.

Happy New Year to you.

[NMLady]

Glad you liked your splurge. Is that the store in Shelburne? I've been in there, and it's a fun place to rummage around in.

Happy New Year to you.

 

I don't know where the 'brick and mortar' store is. We live in the rural part of NM desert so everything we get has to be ordered from internet or from catalogs. I ordered from Vermont Country Store online. Everything is pricey but well worth it.

 

Happy New Year to you too. I hope someday to take a HAL cruise with you.

[sail7seas]

I get their catalog in the mail every now and then and it reminds me to leaf through it. Something always catches my eye. :)